Day 14 Hebden Bridge to Whitestone Farm 12.4 miles

Yesterday’s stroll was wonderful but marred just a little by Janet developing a kniggle in her knee. This was why we enjoyed the delicious moussaka. The alternative restaurant was up steps so we chose the restaurant on the flat, wise as it turned out.

After a hearty breakfast we were picked up by taxi to return us to the Pennine Way, in order to continue. We will remember Hebden Bridge fondly, for its moussaka, the Thornbridge B&B and its kindly taxi driver.

The path from Hebden Bridge fills the walker, filled also with breakfast, with some disquiet. The path seems to go up and up for ever.

On the way up one is reminded that all may not end well by the sight of a wayside cemetery. At that point there is a marker which points to the official Pennine Way. This same marker also points to the Wainwright route. We felt that we should honour the great man’s memory by choosing that route

We have a book which describes the various long distance trails in the UK. The book was written in 2009 so some of the finer detail has been lost over the subsequent 7 years. We were delighted to find that the remote shop described in the book was still active, selling bread, maps, ibubrofen gel, mint imperials, soap and nearly everything else. Why ibubrofen gel you may ask. Janet developed a knasty, kniggling knee yesterday. It only comes on when she is going downhill so a quick rub down with a Welsh cake and some gel and she was bounding about once more.

We needed to walk on the road for some 50 yds or so after having climbed up out of Hebden Bridge. By coincidence our kindly taxi driver of the morning was passing. He stopped and asked us if we were OK. We said that we were and he looked puzzled. We appeared to him to be walking back into Hebden Bridge as that was the road. It was nice of him to be concerned, lovely chap.

We were pleased to be overtaken by the couple with whom we had shared a lift yeaterday morning. They are moving their bags using a firm called Brigantes so are travelling light. We have so little stuff that we can’t really justify the expense of such a strategy. I think that my pack is about 11 Kgs including water and Janet’s is about 7.5 Kgs.

We walked through what is known as Bronte country today, wild, rugged, charming.

I know nothing about Bronte country, the Brontes or their works. That is not strictly true but I find the plot of Wuthering Heights to be highly implausible. All the main characters seem to have taken leave of their senses and behave as though they deliberately choose the most stupid option available. We passed the ruin of a farmhouse which has been associated with some farm or other in Wuthering Heights. A plaque on the wall threw a pail of cold water over this fanciful notion by saying that the building bore no resemblance whatsoever to the farmhouse described by the florid author.

Janet’s knee was returned to normal by the ibubrofen gel. Of course, her other knee became envious of the attention its companion in bipedalism was receiving and started to ask for gel too. I can tell you that Janet gave both knees a good telling off as we descended down to our B&B.

We have nowhere to sleep tomorrow night yet so must attend to that matter. Tomorrow we will probably have a rest day, walking just 5 to 10 miles, if we can find a bed.